Telegra.ph is a simple to use web publishing tool for even the most novice creators. Click and type to fill in the title, your name, and add content. Choose the camera icon to upload images from your computer or select the brackets to paste a YouTube, Vimeo, or Twitter link. When finished, click on the publish button. That is it! Your work is now online. Just copy the URL to share. Add or delete content at any time using the link to edit.

In the Classroom

Use this tool as an easy to use blogging tool in the classroom and in every subject area. Use in language arts classes to strengthen students' writing ability and 21st century skills. Teach about proper commenting etiquette on simple first blog posts. Use for student-written book reviews for the school library. Use as a tool for class or parent communication. Engage students in discussions on current events, independent reading, literature, and more. Ask students to play the role of a historical figure and write about their viewpoints or experiences. Use the site as a forum for any simulated or real task. Invite parents to join to give their points of view on upcoming elections or public policy issues by commenting on student posts. Share a blog in even the youngest of classes, for parents to use to learn about a specific unit of study, field trips, and more. Use this site in world language classes to have students write a blog entry in the new language. Include the principal or superintendent in class discussions of students' rights as you study the Constitution. Create incredible discussions of environmental, political, or economic issues. Create a standing assignment for elementary and middle schoolers on snow days. Have students write a post about the snow using Telegra.ph and share the url on a class wiki. Post the various links on the class web page so students can comment on each other's posts after they come in from sledding.

Add a voiceover to any YouTube video or video on your computer choosing from 15 different voices and 13 languages with Text2VoiceOver. Select the "Create VoiceOver Now!" button to begin, then choose from options to select your video. Once the video loads, select the location for your voiceover and follow directions for adding text and choosing from voice options. Be sure to watch the tutorial video with complete instructions for using the site and generating your voiceover. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Freemake Video Converter, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use Text2VoiceOver to add comments and instructions to any YouTube video your students view. Share specific tips, ask questions, or add additional details to content. Have students create a voiceover to share their thoughts on a video, or ask questions to clarify content.

Do you need sound effects to spice up a presentation? SoundGator contains a large variety of free audio sound effects for personal use. Search for any sound, or use categories to browse through available files. Click any file to preview the file, then choose from options for use. Share via email, copy the embed code for use on web pages, or download to your computer. Downloading and sharing requires registration on the SoundGator site.

In the Classroom

Use the many files on SoundGator to add interest to multimedia presentations and as part of your digital storytelling needs. To create a digital story use a tool like Microsoft Photo Story 3, reviewed here. Find a large variety of tools for multimedia presentations at TeachersFirst Edge tools, reviewed here.''''?Choose an interesting sound to share with students as a creative writing story starter. If your students enjoy creating podcasts and videos, share this site as an excellent resource for adding interest and drama to their presentations.

Collect, organize, and share your web bookmarks with Buttons. Buttons works across platforms making bookmarks available on all devices. Add notes and sort items into groups to make finding information easier. Buttons free plan limit the number of "webmarks" per button and the number of buttons available per user, be sure to check the plan link for complete information.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Create a class account to organize and share bookmarks for any unit. Invite students to share bookmarks to include. Have older students set up and share their own curated bookmarks for research projects using Button. Encourage your gifted students to curate collections of media and articles above the level of current curriculum or for individual research on related topics they are interested in. Share these "advanced" collections with all students to spark personal learning.

Create Bingo cards quickly and easily with the Bingo Card Generator. Insert your title, add your list of words, then choose options to personalize the look of your Bingo Cards. When finished, select the option to print 30 free cards. One unique feature of this site allows users to play online, just share the link provided after choosing print. Players click on the called words on their online bingo card when given the link for the games.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Having the ability to play the Bingo game online is perfect for those who are beginning to integrate technology into their classroom. Use the Bingo Card Generator to create Bingo games to review any topic with small groups. Instead of saying the word that is on the Bingo card, give the definition (so students must find the term) or a math problem whose answer is among those on the card. Create sight word bingo cards for younger students and ESL/ELL students. Bingo is an excellent review tool for science or social studies. Put a short description of a vocabulary word into the space. Tell students the name of the vocabulary word and see if they can find it on the Bingo card. Encourage students to create bingo games for each other as a review or to engage the audience during oral presentations. Learning support teachers can create them together with students as an engaging way to review. World language teachers (and students) can create bingo cards to reinforce vocabulary.

Turn uncomfortable, sensitive topic discussions in your classroom into a learning tool for developing critical thinking skills with NewseumEd's guidelines for helping you and your students discuss issues respectfully. Topics like racial tensions, politics, and religion can become a classroom learning tool to teach the art of dialogue and to increase respectful public speaking, confidence, engagement, and listening skills. Read and use the four guidelines: confidence in your content, respectfulness of your participants, asking questions, and encouraging debate, and be the best the facilitator you can be. You must be a registered NewseumEd member to access this resource; however, membership is free.

In the Classroom

Have this lesson handy when a controversial or contentious subject emerges. You just never know when that will happen, but you can run with it if you prepare using these NewseumEd guidelines. Share them with students, so they will understand what they need to do to participate successfully in a discussion or debate. Are there no issues at hand? Try finding one using Teachable Moments, reviewed here. At Teachable Moments find lesson plans based on articles and current topics, ready for download in PDF format. Try giving students a choice! Show them several subjects and use Dotstorming, reviewed here, to comment and vote on topics for the discussion. Use the opportunity to hone students information literacy skills by reviewing how to evaluate and cite sources. Once they have researched their topic, and are ready to discuss, use a tool such as Socratic Smackdown, reviewed here, to practice their discussion and argument strategies. With older students, a next step might be to take the debate public using Virtual Debate, reviewed here, which has online examples and resources for conducting virtual debates, or ProConIt, reviewed here, where you create a debate or ask specific questions of a group or the entire web.

Speechnotes provides a distraction-free, easy to use speech to text notepad for use with Chrome browsers. Just click on the microphone to begin speaking. Be sure to view the hints for inserting punctuation. When finished, email or print your document. Saving options allow you to upload files to Google Drive or download as a text file. This tool is for speech to text, not text to speech.

In the Classroom

Speechnotes is a very versatile tool, for students, parents, and teachers alike. Bypass poor typing skills, dysgraphia, dyslexia, and physical disabilities. Use this tool to create emails, documents, or anything requiring typed text. Use in your writing class so students can get their thoughts into text without having to also think about typing. Be sure they edit their work. Use when you are in a hurry with emails requiring long text. Use for your newsletters or family emails. Share this on your class website and at Back to School Night. Emerging literacy students will enjoy the success they have with their oral language into written word. Improve content and forget about mechanics of writing or typing. Focus in on grammar and mechanics after seeing the recognized mistakes. Include this website on every toolbar and as a favorite on your class web page. ESL/ELL students can speak English, play it back, and correct it until it "sounds right" and expresses their ideas correctly.

The Flipped Learning Global Initiative is an international collaboration of educators and researchers committed to flipped learning. This site offers online webinars along with archives of previous webinars for professional development. Be sure to check out the Flipped Learning Technology Selection located in the Training section to enroll in a free one-hour course outlining the mistakes to avoid with flipped learning. The community portion of the site includes a forum for interacting with educators from around the world to discuss flipped learning. The archived webinars reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as Freemake Video Converter, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

If you are considering flipping your classroom or have begun using this technique, bookmark this site as a resource for professional learning and collaboration. View webinars with your peers as you learn how to flip a classroom together. Have questions? Share your thoughts and ideas on the community forum to get answers from educators experienced in flipping their classroom.

Explore bias through this series of videos from the New York Times. Using titles such as Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Racism, and Why We're Awkward, this series explores types of bias, how to address and change prejudices, and ways to address racism. Most videos run around 2 minutes in length, making them perfect for a short introduction to the topics addressed.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Share videos with students either with a projector, an interactive whiteboard, or use the link or embed codes on your class website to view at home. Have students view from home using VideoAnt, reviewed here, where students can stop the video and ask questions about the parts where they need clarification on the video! Have cooperative learning groups create podcasts sharing their insight into biases and racism along with suggestions on ways to address each problem. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here. Share this site with your school's counselor for use with ongoing lessons in tolerance and diversity.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2017, opens in Adobe Connect. Engage students and deepen content area knowledge using instructional imagery. Deliver instruction in a compelling way and transform your classroom activities by learning how to use Adobe Spark, an integrated suite of FREE storytelling applications. Learn to use Adobe Spark, Post, and Page for classroom projects and personal productivity. Select images and make minor edits to bring additional context to content area instruction for your students. Brainstorm with others how you and your students can use Adobe Spark in your classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. As a result of this session teachers will: 1. Learn basic use of the Adobe Spark tools; 2. Explore three different ways to use Adobe Spark in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of Adobe Spark in the classroom.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

Welcome to the Microsoft Educator Community! This extensive network of educators is the place to find lessons, collaborate with fellow teachers, and earn badges and certificates through training courses. Register for virtual field trips from across the globe with exciting partners such as an elephant sanctuary or climbers hiking up Mount Everest. Sign into your account to add lessons as favorites or upload your lessons to share with the community.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the many resources on the site for use in your classroom and to share with peers. Find partners for Skype lessons, participate in virtual field trips, and download lessons for use. Watch tutorials to learn how to use Microsoft Tools such as OneNote, Sway, and others with your students. Enroll in the online courses for personal learning in many topics or share with others in your building and learn together. Earn badges and points and become a Microsoft Innovative Educator. Include all courses as part of any professional development plan.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2017, opens in Adobe Connect. Who doesn't love free tools? Come join us as we take a look at some of Microsoft's top free tools for empowering teachers and students and making learning fun. Learn how these tools can be used across the curriculum to increase productivity and student engagement. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. As a result of this session teachers will: 1. Increase awareness of top Microsoft free tools that can ignite the classroom in all content and curriculum areas; 2. Discover ways to increase productivity and student engagement; 3. Expand skills into industry leading trends: Flipped and Blended Learning, Global Learning, Gaming/Coding, and Productivity; and 4. Explore learning beyond the classroom walls with resources like Bing in the Classroom and Skype in the Classroom.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2017, opens in Adobe Connect. Inspire technology integrated lessons for student learning based on web-based resources. Learn about the features and benefits of your free TeachersFirst membership. This session will briefly share how to find and use resources on TeachersFirst to help you save time. Remember, it is OK2Ask questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. As a result of this session teachers will: 1. Explore TeachersFirst membership Features; 2. Identify and share resources to support classroom instruction and; 3. Prepare to use the features of TeachersFirst to maximize student learning.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2017, opens in Adobe Connect. Want to go paperless? Try Google Classroom, an online tool that incorporates G-Suite apps into a dynamic classroom environment. Learn how to create, distribute, and grade assignments. Understand how to organize class resources, post announcements, and questions. Google Classroom makes it easy to coordinate and organize your G-Suite and tech-infused students projects. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. NOTE: To participate you must be able to sign into a Google account that has been set up by your school district. You must have access to G-Suite with Google Classroom turned on. As a result of this session teachers will: (1) Set up a basic Google Classroom; (2) Create an assignment and import a document into either a question, announcement or topical post; and (3) Plan for the use of Google Classroom in their setting.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

Taskade is an easy to use to-do list creator and manager. Just start typing to create a list, no registration required. As soon as you start the list, a link appears for sharing and collaborating. To save, create a free account with a username, email, and password to find and manage previous items. Change the theme when you click to share a list on Facebook or Twitter (but you don't have to share; just open one of them and go back to your list to change the theme). You can even add Taskade to your Chrome browser for easy access or when you open a new tab your current list will appear as the opening page!

In the Classroom

Create checklists of steps in a project. Place all notes in one place, so you do not forget. Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students will be able to access it for free, no matter what device they have. They could use Taskade for assignment information, reminders, and more. Consider setting up a class account that can be used by all students. Spell out the use of the site and what is allowed and not allowed -- and the penalties. Set up separate accounts for student groups who can then share their notebook with other groups.

Randomly select a name for any activity with Name Picker Ninja. Add your list of names, and Go! The Name Picker Ninja will scroll through the list and stop on a random name. Delete that name and continue. Alternatively, if you want to keep all names active, click Go! again.

In the Classroom

The obvious use for this tool is for selecting students to answer a question or do an activity. Other uses could include forming groups/pairs or creating seating charts. Allow students to use it when it's time to choose the next student. Instead of names, enter activities for P.E., rainy day recess activities, the next book your class will read together, or anything where you need to make a choice. Save your lists as a template with a Word doc or PDF so you can copy and paste them for reuse later.

OurStickys is a Chrome extension that allows users to add a sticky note to any web page or PDF and has some unique features not found on most sticky note tools. Your sticky note appears each time you open that page, even on another machine! Once installed, right-click on any page to add a note. Personalize notes by color, font, size, and position. Add YouTube videos that will play directly in the sticky. Drag and drop text from any program. Even convert a sticky to a "to-do" list! Follow directions to install the extension on your Chrome browser. Plans for the future of this tool include adding the ability to have a simple chat per sticky and to have reminders with notifications.

In the Classroom

Make notes for conferences, lab materials, books needed, or even parent conferences on any web page. Add sticky notes to any webpage or PDF shared with students on your interactive whiteboard to remind them of important information or as a list of important items to watch for when viewing a page. Create a list of vocabulary words from any website as you view it together. Share this extension for students to use on their personal device for note-taking.

Create and play learning games with Sugarcane. Choose from eighteen options for game types including matching, associating, ordering, and categorizing activities. Sugarcane offers several additional options within each of those categories. Next, enter data in the template or import CSV or Excel files with your information. The last step provides options for personalizing games. For additional help, Sugarcane includes tutorials each step of the way. To learn more about the types of games available, browse through topics on the home page of the site to find and play games created by others. Use Google or Facebook to make an account or fill in a username, your email, and a password. You can play and create games without an account; when creating a game, you need an account to save it.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and save this site throughout the year. New to using technology or games in your classroom? Not comfortable creating games? Use the ready-made learning games on class computers or provide links to activities on your class website or blog for use at home. Another option is to challenge older students to create educational games for their peers using the templates and instructions provided. Instead of a research report, they can create a game! Share with parent helpers or classroom tutors to create review activities for student practice. Learning support teachers can have small groups create a game together to help review any material. Assign a small group of students to work with different game templates and then act as "host" of the game to quiz the rest of the class. Sugarcane is an ideal review or way to present student research information on a topic and keep the "audience" engaged.

aysmetrica is an interesting web browser extension designed to adjust the spaces in text to create an easier reading experience. View the examples on the How it Works page to understand what aysmetrica offers and why it makes reading easier in many instances. Reduce cognitive load by creating chunks of text instead of one space between each word; this makes content easier to read and understand. Use the slider to adjust the amount of formatting provided. Be sure to follow the links, found in the top menu under More, to download the free browser extension for aysmetrica for personal use. This site requires email registration.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Install aysmetrica on classroom computers for student use when reading text-heavy online content. aysmetrica may be especially helpful for ESL/ELL and special education students to use as an aid in reading and comprehending text. Share text on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector using aysmetrica as part of a lesson on reading skills to demonstrate "chunking" of text.

Collaborate and annotate online using eMargin. Create an account using your email to get started. Begin annotating using text you upload from your computer, enter a URL, or copy and paste text. Once text is available, use the dashboard to highlight with your choice of colors, add notes or tags, or search for specific words or phrases. Create groups to share and collaborate on annotations.

In the Classroom

eMargin is a great tool for you (or your students) to annotate research and information on the Internet or from personal documents. Create teacher annotations or question and answer comments on pages. Ask comprehension questions or guiding questions for places you send students on the web. Ask questions that students can complete as homework to show that they accessed the web resource assigned. This tool would also be a powerful way for students to point out bias on a web page or for art students to comment on images and design elements. Create writing prompts by adding questions or comments to a webpage and sharing it with students.